How 'Bout That Rain Check?
by Inspiredxwords
Summary: This story is a continuation of 1x10 episode "Hairdos and Holidays" . What happens when Zoe realizes she'd rather take that rain check sooner than she originally thought? WadexZoe. My first Hart Of Dixie fic. Read/Review Please!


**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Characters or the plot and dialogue from episode 10 of season 1. I merely used it in a flashback to set the scene for the rest of my story. That being said, Hart of Dixie belongs to the CW and I do not in any way claim to be affiliated with the writing or production of this show. I am just a hopeless (or maybe not so hopeless) Zoe and Wade shipper!**  
><strong>

**Rain Check**

It's that moment when you are wrapping up your last present of the holiday season and you take that last piece of red ribbon to tie in a neat bow, attach a gift tag, and add it to the pile of other assorted gift packages. You breathe a sigh of relief because you can finally relax with peppermint mocha in hand. It's that feeling of liberation having all the loose ends tied up at least for now that can bring a person indescribable joy. In case you haven't caught on, I'm not just talking about gift wrapping precious holiday gifts anymore. I'm talking about tying up the mysterious 'moments' that George and I have had the past few months. Those moments where I feel like I've found my soul mate and he uses his southern charm generously capturing my attention and cutting it off in an instant because he has fiancé, he is getting married soon.

Ok so that night I didn't blurt out my thoughts like I practiced on how unfair it was that he kept stringing me along like a line of Christmas lights he decorated the outside of his small business practice with. When we met up at the pageant, only a tiny amount of words needed to be shared between us to know that the flirting had to stop. It was hurting both of us. I can't help if I'm attracted to him – the stupid crush won't leave and I have dealt with many sleepless nights trying to fight the strong feelings I have for him. He's dead set on marrying Lemon Breeland though, and that girl is a force to be reckoned with if I've ever seen one. Standing under the tree in town square that night and finding that closure with George, I finally inhaled a deep breath full of pine and that southern December humidity. I was free from the chains of my infatuated. I was ready for a nice bath back at home, a glass of red wine, and a holiday movie or two, all to myself.

_**-Flashback-**_

"_Hey Wade!" I exclaimed when I saw my annoying, yet entertaining neighbor walking my way. I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face. Don't get me wrong, Wade Kinsella drove me absolutely insane most times, but he was still a familiar face and had that brotherly spirit that made it impossible not to enjoy his presence now and then. I was still on an adrenaline rush from my encounter with George and as Wade approached me, there was something about him that seemed different to me: a twinkle in his eye, perhaps? He returned my smile and I felt the warmth equal to grasping a mug of hot coco spreading through my limbs instantly. That's weird, I thought, I haven't felt that twinge and weakness in the back of my legs in a while. I shrugged the thought from my head and focused on him as he made small talk about the pageant in which I had taken it upon myself to enter Rose in. Although she hadn't won, Rose was spectacular. _

"_I'm going over to the Rammer Jammer, can I buy you a drink?" Wade asked and broke me out of my fog. Well, well. If I didn't know any better with that tone of voice he could have been asking me out on a date. It was probably just some more of that southern charm all the men around Bluebell had. I weighed the option of accepting his invitation, but my mind was still processing my latest conversation with George and I didn't think it was fair to go to the bar with Wade if my mind wasn't all in one place. The look on his face when I asked for a rain check nearly made my knees knock together again. Pull yourself together, Zoe. This is Wade; the same Wade that wakes you up in the middle of the night with his loud music, the same Wade that stayed the night on the couch at my house when I thought I was seeing ghosts. I walked past him on my way back home and didn't get very far before I grabbed on to a light pole wrapped in Christmas holly. _

_**-End Flashback -**  
><em>

Wade Kinsella. The horny, immature annoyance that I wanted to slap in the face on more than a few occasions was suddenly invading my thoughts. What changed? Why did I all of the sudden find him so attractive? The smile on my lips still remained and the memories that Wade and I had shared, mostly unpleasant came flooding back to me. However, the most vivid images were of the caring heart that Wade had displayed on several occasions and that almost kiss in the rainstorm we shared before I got scared and rejected him. I didn't allow myself to think about what I was about to do, but I all I knew was that I had been so blinded by what I thought was the shiniest star on top of a tree, that I overlooked one of the finest ornaments around. I knew what I had to do and I needed to do it now before I missed my chance.

I had been waiting for a good two hours on Wade's porch. My plan was all set, but it depended on several factors that couldn't be predicted, like would Wade be sober when he returned? Would he bring home a girl, or worse more than one girl? I wouldn't put it past him. Suddenly, his truck pulled up and his high beamers luckily didn't betray me in my hiding place. I saw his darkened figure jump out of the truck, alone. Breathing a sigh of relief, but then taking another nervous, deep breath, I knew it was now or never. He took the first step up to his door with his keys ready to unlock the door while I spun the nozzle on the garden hose. Water gushed out and down from where I had tied it with some wire above his door. The freezing cold water shocked him and he cursed as he jumped back. He knew who to blame.

"ZOE!" Wade bellowed out and looked around to try to figure out what the meaning of all this was. I shyly, or rather guiltily, exited from my hiding place and showed myself to him with my hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"Wait, before you get mad, please let me explain," I pleaded with him. His angry face softened and his eyes traveled from the hem of my knee length flowing white dress to the jean jacket I was wearing over it and finally made eye contact with me.

"Nice prank, Doc," said Wade sarcastically. "You sure got me."

"You know, I never really got the origins of the idiom of 'taking a rain check' before. I mean it makes sense for an outdoor activity like a picnic where the rain washes out and ruins the day's plans…" I said as I walked slowly closer to him and rambled on. "Yes, I suppose I do understand why now. Anyways, I got to thinking after I rain-checked you tonight about that one night when the heat spell broke and it rained. Do you remember?"

"Of course I remember Doc – the heat didn't make me delusional, but what in particular about that night?" Wade asked as he scratched the back of his neck with one hand and looked both intrigued and confused.

"As I recall you tried to kiss me." I said bluntly.

"Actually, I think it was you that tried to kiss me," argued Wade. "Besides, what's this got to do with the hose prank?"

The water was still sprinkling down and creating puddles at our feet. How do I explain to him my feelings? He's still his stubborn self, with his snide remarks, but also his big heart.

"I thought I might take that rain check now and so I quite literally brought the rain to help me out." I told him. If this wasn't so serious of a moment and my heart was not beating out of my chest, I might chuckle due to the cleverness of the pun in this situation. Wade narrowed his eyes suspiciously and took a couple steps closer to me, measuring the distance.

"Zoe Hart, is this you finally telling me that you can't resist my body?" He said slyly in a joking manner. I could tell he was keeping his guard up, he still thought I only was pulling a prank on him.

"No." I said innocently and with the same intensity of our earlier run in that night. "This is me wanting a rain check for last rain storm and for your invitation that I turned down earlier tonight."

We were standing so close by now that I could feel the heat radiating from his body and though he wasn't completely sober, he wasn't drunk either and I could tell that he was struggling with something – perhaps processing my words and trying to piece the puzzle together. I wasn't playing fair or being blunt with him, I was trying to let him figure it out. I placed one of my small hands on the pocket of his plaid shirt right by his heart and felt it beating. He stared into my eyes and cocked his head to the side.

"And what might that rain check entitle?" He whispered softly brushing his fingers up my wrists until the cuffs of my jean jacket.

"Do I even have to say it?" I shivered and looked into his eyes. He understood, I could tell. There was a lustful look in his eye and the corners of his mouth turned up into a grin like the one from earlier tonight. It suddenly dawned on me that this wasn't the first time he had looked at me this way. I could never figure out what the expression meant, but now I knew, because it was one that I could finally reciprocate.

"Well my, my Mr. Kinsella, I do declare I've discovered your little secret." I spoke in my best imitation of a southern accent.  
>"And what might that be, Doc?" He said, his eyes never leaving mine.<p>

"You have a crush on me." I said smugly.

"I most certainly do not have a crush on you." He said with a small laugh.

"Do to!"

"Do not!"

"I think you do."

"No."

"Yes you –" I didn't have time to finish my sentence before a light, playful shove from him landed me right under the water hose. I gasped because of the cold temperature of the water and as the water poured over me, I yanked Wade to me so the water captured him too. I grabbed his head and brought it to mine and kissed him without thinking. A thousand floodgates opened and a felt an electric charge shoot up my spine. There was the undeniable chemistry I had chosen to ignore and block out and the burning passion and desire that drove me to kiss him was only heightened as he pushed me out of the frigid stream of water from the hose, against his door frame and kissed me back. I could feel that Wade had been holding back from sharing his feelings with me. It was obvious that he had developed feelings for me, but I would be lying if I said that I hadn't developed any for him.

"Do you want to come to my place tonight?" I kissed him again and maybe another time or two before nervously biting my lip, pretty sure of what his answer would be either way. However, there is always room for a surprise answer. He smoothed a piece strand of hair that had fallen in my face and with a smirk said: "I'm going to have to take a rain check. Good night, Doc." With that he detangled himself from our embrace and ran into his house slamming the door behind him quickly and rushing over to the curtained window laughing at his revenge.

"WADE!" I shrieked in annoyance of him leaving me with a lot of unanswered questions and the lingering feel of his lips on mine. "YOU INFURIATE ME!" With that I turned off the hose and pouted my way back to my house. There was a lot to be sorted out between us still, but I've never been more happy for having to take a rain check in my life.


End file.
